Plant City Strawberry Festival Food: A Plan for Shortcake

Plant City strawberry festival food starts with strawberry shortcake, sold at several festival booths run by local groups, and runs through deep-fried novelties, strawberry slushes and snow cones. Outside the gates, Parkesdale Farm Market is known for shortcake and milkshakes, so a good plan uses both.

Plant City sits east of Tampa and grows strawberries through the winter. The sections below show what to eat, in what order, and how to remember it.

What is the Florida Strawberry Festival shortcake?

Florida Strawberry Festival shortcake is the festival's signature food. Local news coverage says the festival's new BayCare Center adds a permanent shortcake booth, and booths run by local groups sell it elsewhere on the grounds.

A shortcake is biscuit or cake, berries, juice and whipped cream. Ask for the berries to be added at the booth, and eat it soon, because the biscuit softens fast.

What else is on the Plant City strawberry festival food list?

The festival turns strawberries into novelties every year, and recent years have brought items such as a strawberry barbecue egg roll, strawberry crunch nachos, a strawberry shortcake snowball, a strawberry crunch funnel cake and a strawberry cinnamon bun. Savory options sit among them, including macaroni and cheese and pasta.

Many of the newest items come from concession operators who change each year, so treat any list as a sample. Eat the classics first, then pick one novelty to share.

Festival food is built to be eaten on the move, so look for items on a stick, in a cup or in a cone. Share with the group, because a single funnel cake or egg roll is plenty for two or three people, and you will want room for the shortcake.

Where do you buy fresh Plant City strawberries?

Parkesdale Farms and Wish Farms have sold fresh strawberries at the festival, near the Parke Exhibit Building. Outside the grounds, the town has farm stands and U-pick fields in season, and prices and hours change by week.

Check the berries yourself. Look for bright red fruit with green caps, no mold and no pools of juice in the box. Eat them within a few days, or freeze them for smoothies.

Is Plant City strawberry season only in winter?

Plant City strawberry season runs through the cooler months, roughly from late fall into spring, which is why the festival is held in late winter. Fruit picked in the cool months tends to be small, dark and sweet.

Peak flavor varies by year and weather. Ask the farm what is best that week, and ask what the berries are best for: the sweetest fruit is for eating out of the box, while softer berries suit shortcake, jam and smoothies. Buying a flat for the car ride home is a Plant City habit, so bring a cooler and keep it out of the sun.

Where can you get a strawberry milkshake in Plant City?

A strawberry milkshake in Plant City is easiest at Parkesdale Farm Market, at 3702 West Baker Street. Local coverage, including That's So Tampa and the Tampa Bay Times, describes its strawberry shortcakes and milkshakes as its calling card.

Go outside the festival rush. Weekday afternoons are quieter than weekends, and the farm market is open when the festival is not.

How do you plan a festival day?

Arrive early, before the crowds and the heat. Eat shortcake first, while it is fresh and your appetite is large, then walk the grounds for rides, music and exhibits. Save a novelty for later and bring a cooler for berries you buy on the way out.

The festival draws hundreds of thousands of people, so parking and lines are part of the day. Wear sunscreen and comfortable shoes, and carry water. Check the festival's own page for daily schedules and admission, since promotions change by day.

Can you eat strawberries in Plant City without the festival?

Yes. The town's farm markets, stands and U-pick fields sell fruit throughout the season, and the festival is not required. A quiet Tuesday visit to a farm market gives you strawberries, a shortcake and a milkshake without a line.

For a calmer day, drive the back roads and look for hand-lettered signs. Ask the farmer which variety is sweetest.

How can Mosey help you remember Plant City?

Rate the dish, not just the day. In the Mosey app, add the shortcake or milkshake as a dish, give stars and note whether the berries tasted fresh, the cream was real or the biscuit held up. Tags such as Farm Producer or Must-Try describe the stop.

Tag the family or friends who came along so they can add their own rating of the same treat. Build a list called Plant City strawberry day with a note on each stop and share it with whoever is driving, and each person can add a place so the group compares ratings by the dish before anyone leaves the house. The ratings feature page explains how a rating is built. You can follow friends to see where they stopped.

Read about the Cortez fishing village for a seafood day, the Tampa Heights restaurants for a city meal, or browse the US food guides.

Get the Mosey app, rate your next strawberry dessert in Plant City and add it to a list.